Prisoner of War

This week I haven’t been feeling well. In fact, my eardrum burst in my left ear…twice, and it still hurts. So I sit here with pain shooting through my ear, trying not to think of the pain by thinking about how I can make this page better. On Tuesday, November 14, I had a marketing meeting with Lisa Frederickson about my book, Captured by the Enemy. We are working on making my Amazon page better. She suggested that I send a message to Chuck Bartok, another marketing genius who has worked with books similar to mine. My philosophy is that it doesn’t hurt to ask, so I sent him a message. Would you believe that he messaged me right back and offered to call me on the phone? A busy man with 57 years of marketing experience! He started at a young age and never quit learning. We talked on the phone for over an hour, and he looked at my FB pages and my website and gave me suggestions and advice as I tried to jot down the golden nuggets of knowledge. I have to say that I was slightly embarrassed by my lack of current posts on here. It was just the kick in the pants that I needed to get me going again. He told me to share the stories I’ve experienced through my life because those are what make us who we are. That’s important because my life does not just consist of my book, and I can share that with you. Did you know that after the landing page, the second most visited page is the “About Me” page? I didn’t, but I plan to share more life experiences through here. Then, we talked about how we all work together to make things happen, and I believe that is true. I look forward to make new collaborations with others because I have great hope for this book and any future books that are to come. When I sent Chuck a thank you message, he sent this back, “Keep me posted. Remember there are no mistakes, just better ways to get it done. That is why I am a strong advocate of “masterminding” with peers. Been doing it for 57 years.” So my friends, that is why it is important to keep making connections, keep writing, keep sharing, and eventually sharing that great success that comes from it. We’re all in this together. Thank you for joining me on this journey.

Alan Mount gave me one of my greatest book reviews ever! Born in 1919, he knew exactly what was happening as he read my book, Captured by the Enemy, because he had been there fighting in the Navy right behind Carl. He remembered the action of WWII and was so impressed with the details in the book that he made me feel as if I had written a million dollar book. I had the opportunity to meet Alan and talk with him a couple times and discover the stories Alan had to share. Watch Alan’s review here:

In honor of my granddad, all educators (homeschool, public, or private) have a chance to get a paperback copy of Captured by the Enemy: The True Story of POW Carl Leroy Good.

So, here’s the deal. I received a shipment of books that printed too dark (mostly on the pictures), but still read fine. I can’t sell them like that, so I will ship them out to interested educators (homeschool, public, or private) for only the price of what it costs me to ship media mail–$4.00! I only have about 20 copies available. The only way to get it at that price is to fill out the short form below. I will then send you the PayPal link. The first ones to pay, will receive the copies until they run out. The book itself is totally FREE.

Written as creative nonfiction (also known as narrative or literary nonfiction), it provides true stories with WWII facts and history. What gets better than reading an interesting book that reads as a novel but promotes learning at the same time? This style of writing gives the reader the best of both worlds. Depending on student maturity, I would say it would be best for 7th graders and up (Middle school, high school, and college history/war classes), but I would like to know what you think. Could it be used to enhance your curriculum? Could this book be used to teach about the personal perspective of WWII that doesn’t get talked about as much?

A friend of mine who taught college history courses said the following, “It may read as a story, but it is a true story, and that is more attractive to students than textbooks. This is the type of work that keeps history alive and makes it interesting to those who think it is boring and nothing more than dates and facts.”

To get your free book (just pay shipping expenses of $4.00), fill out this short form so I can send you the PayPal link:

Name(required)

State where you live?(required)

What grade(s) do you teach or homeschool?(required)

Thank you for your time. Please make sure you can be contacted by entering a valid email address here. Your information will not be used for any other purposes. Thank you.(required)

If you submit it and it doesn’t show the information you submitted, try one more time. You should see a summary of your information.

The other day I was disappointed to see that someone had left a one star review for “Captured by the Enemy.” I was even more disappointed to see that the person who left the review had only read a couple paragraphs before declaring that the book couldn’t be true because it read like a novel. He or she went on to boldly state that it was dishonest to label the book nonfiction. This has me shaking my head at so many levels.

Had the person taken the time to actually read the book, he or she would have realized that the book is clearly labeled as Creative Nonfiction. It is on the back of the book cover, in the Amazon description, and addressed in detail on the Author’s Note at the beginning of the book. What does this mean?

Creative Nonfiction means that creative elements, such as conversation and characters, have been added to help carry along the storyline. Therefore, it reads like a novel, but it is still 100% nonfiction. Every element in this book has been extensively researched and all of the stories are true. Since Amazon does not have a section for Creative Nonfiction, it is listed under nonfiction and history. There is absolutely nothing dishonest about this placement.

So for those who are wondering. Yes, this book is nonfiction. It is a true story. What gets better than reading a true story, full of history, but in the format of a novel? In my opinion–nothing. That’s why I wrote it that way. 🙂

Can’t beat an article in the newspaper to help let readers know what this book is all about. Read below to see what it had to say:

In the News

‘Captured by the Enemy’ is Tribute to Grandfather’s WWII Service

It took eight long years, but 18 months after moving to Ponca City, the tribute was finally finished and author Crystal Aceves released her book, “Captured by the Enemy: The True Story of POW Carl Leroy Good.”

As a 12-year-old, Aceves was inspired by her grandfather Carl Good’s 1945 account of life as a prisoner of war and his subsequent escape. “…Although I was only twelve years old at the time, I was mesmerized by his story. It was so interesting and it made me proud that my granddad had lived through such an ordeal and he didn’t let it ruin the rest of his life.”

While Aceves was a college student, she interviewed her grandfather for a college paper. “As I started researching and things began to match up, I wanted to know more. With my granddad’s blessing, I began the journey to write a book that retraced his steps through WWII and the history that went with them.”

And the process of interviewing, gathering stories, researching, and writing began.

“Captured by the Enemy” covers Good’s landing in North Africa with Patton’s 3rd Division. Aceves retraces his steps across North Africa and his preparation for a second amphibious landing into Sicily. The book shares Good’s stories of Sicily during WWII until he is captured by the enemy.

After his capture, the book takes the reader through Good’s experiences in POW camps and participating in a mass prisoner escape into Italy. The book then shares Good’s harrowing life of living on the run for over nine months in the cold Italian mountains. It is a hard look at how the war and the stress from being hunted for so long changed him.

“It is an amazing view from a different perspective of WWII that shares a true and honest view of a hardworking draftee. The language is not harsh because most WWII draftees were not vulgar when speaking,” Aceves said. “It was a time when it is still okay to speak of God and to admit that in war many nonbelievers became believers when it came down to it. It is a good read for teenagers who are prepared to read about the atrocities of war, but it also makes an excellent read for adults who are looking for a true story written about an everyday hero.”

It certainly was not an easy journey to put it all together. When Aceves came up with the idea, she was finishing college, had three young children, and flipped houses at least yearly with her husband and his real estate profession. Although the real estate career changed, the moving did not. As she worked on writing and researching, she lived in Kansas, Iowa, Texas, and Oklahoma. While in Texas, she and her husband had their fourth child. Despite the sleepless nights and exhausting days, Aceves was determined to finish this tribute to her grandfather and veterans like him. The last three years were filled with long, sleepless nights, but she was determined to finish—and finish she did. She chose to put a picture of her family on the back of the book because everyone was involved during the years it took to write it—and yes, she is struggling to keep up with the toddler.

One “Captured by the Enemy” reader wrote a review on Amazon, awarding the book five stars while stating “Just as good as ‘Unbroken.’ You won’t be disappointed.”

With a smile, Aceves added, “I certainly hope you will not be disappointed. It is wonderful piece of history that was made from the true stories of my granddad. It recognizes him as one of the many soldiers who bravely fought in WWII and then was left to adjust to life with new and unforgettable scars that would last him a lifetime.”